OCR Text |
Show 6- 1142 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES INDIAN FIELD SERVICE Consolidated lite Agency, Ignacio, Colorado, January z'df 19^ 3. Honorable Commissioner ox" indian Affairs, Y/ ashington, D. C. My dear Mr'. Corami s sio ner: Relative to your l e t t e r ox December-£ 8, 19^ 2, ' I have the honor to advise that the f i r s t and l a s t paragraphs, r e l a t i v e xo the eonxrcversy between Mr. R. E. Y/ alker ox Maneos, Colorado and c e r t a i n Ifevaho Indi ansV~ v7as xhe subject ox' a former l e t t e r " oy me. Relative xo the second paragraph ox' your letxer, dealing with the Ute Indians in Utah, I would re spe ctx'ully advise t h a t I went to Utah on January loth and met wi oh these Indians on Montezuma Creek, about sixty- five, miles below the XJpo Mountain School. I sent" them word several days before t h i s meeting ' oy two policemen Who went . through the Monte suma Valley, Allen Canyon and. to ' Bluff City, . Vana I was much g r a t i f i e d to meet nearly t h i s e n t i r e band ox Indians. Shey said there v/ ere a few detained at home : on account cX i l l n e s s . '•'"/ Ihere ; we're " several white men' assembled wixii•* tne'i; Indians when I came among them and I t o l a the white men that myxmeeting would be with xhe InaianS only; and explained to them that / che Indians would f e e l more " free ; tto tai:£ to me if ^ theyivould absent' themselves. ^ £ h i s they d i d . - v l , was , tbldv py the / Indians thatjtiiese men, ; for -; the": mbs t part ,^ v/ ere c a t t l e men; a~ hcl were " not for theX& °^ ox the Indians. My . r em arks , to the Indians were.-; as ;. ib Hows: " Your ,; oommis sioner "' who l i v e s in Y/ ashington has'./ toId; me to " be come acquainted; v/ ith you personally and Co," f i nd put, what I t is you need, and why, for/ so "" many . years past;.: you have made s6_ l i t t l e ' ' p r o g r e s s . Altnougn you have caused T » Tashin^ o6n: considerable'trouble i n the past,- your, Commissioner is anxious to forget - J- thsr past and / io^ lend you a helping hand so'thau you may become ; b e t t e r iIndians;; so t h a t you may'/ have' better" homes; that " you may have ; she ep and ' goats'' and. ' so me t h i ng t o live on. Your children," for ' t he most part," are funning wild through these canyons and are- not attending any school so . that when they'grow up to be men and women, they will kiow very l i t t l e of , the white" man's' ways of ' l i v i ng and they" w i l l have made no advancement beyond t h e i r fathers or grandfathers.-;.^.. 3? his"' is not good for'your |